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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: OKLAHOMAMarch 19, 2016Paul JespersonMatt BohannonWes WashpunBen JacobsonOklahoma City, Oklahoma THE MODERATOR: We're joined by the UNI Panthers. Our student-athletes this afternoon are Paul Jesperson, Matt Bohannon, and Wes Washpun. Gentlemen, we'll take questions from the floor. Q. Paul, I have to ask what last night was like with your phone, everything else, what this morning's been like? Have you been able to put it past you and put it behind you yet? PAUL JESPERSON: Yeah, last night, obviously it's pretty special. It's a great moment for our team to be able to win and advance, play again tomorrow. Yeah, I had a couple text messages, but I handled that stuff last night. We're past it. We've watched film, so now we're just getting ready for our game tomorrow. Q. It looked like at times when Texas had their one big in, especially, that's when you guys seemed to have the most trouble. So what's the game plan going to be? Because A&M does have a couple of bigs that are pretty effective down low. What is the game plan for handling that and being able to play your style of game? MATT BOHANNON: Yeah, they're obviously big just like Texas was. But going with your statement, I feel like when they had their bigs in, we kind of kept them off of what they wanted to do on the defensive end because we had Klint come in and make some really big-time takes to the basket and they wanted to switch a little bit. Got a few mismatches. Just tried to use that to our advantage. But, yeah, they did get some offensive rebounds yesterday. That's going to be a big key tomorrow. These guys rebound really well, really good down low. But we're confident as ever. We're ready for the challenge. But if we fight down low, then we like our chances. Q. The expectations for last year's team compared to this year's team were quite a bit different. So what did you guys take from last year in making the second round last year, and how have you been able to -- or how do you hope that helps you tomorrow night? WES WASHPUN: Yeah, just experience more than anything. We've been here before last year with these guys, obviously, and just taking the mistakes that we made last year and trying to be more prepared going into this next game and be ready for almost anything Texas A&M can throw at us. Q. Matt, you guys have been in the NCAA before, you've won games, but you're still a so-called mid-major and often have the low seed. Is there an advantage when you're in that situation? Do you guys play with less pressure than a big named school like Texas? And if so, does that pressure sort of equal out when you get to the second round? MATT BOHANNON: Yeah, maybe a little bit, but the nice thing is you guys can call us mid-major, whatever, but we feel like we're a high-major team as it is, and we've shown this season that we can compete with anybody and we'll play anybody anywhere and have done that this year over the course of my career and Coach Jake's tenure. So it's maybe a little bit, but we just take it for what it is and understand that people are always going to say what we are and what we're not. But at the end of the day, we play for the name on our chest. The pressure is -- it's the NCAA Tournament, so there obviously is some, but at the end of the day we're confident in our abilities and we've put in the preparation and the time and really trust in that. Q. Paul, you told me last night that one of the messages Coach had given to you all before this game was to play fearless, and I think we can say that pretty much sums up that last second shot that you took last night. It was a fearless shot. What other message has Coach relayed to you? And all three of you can answer this. After the game last night what was the message? What is his message this morning? If you could just share some of the thoughts that he's had with you and some other gems like that that he's given you? PAUL JESPERSON: Coach kind of said to us after the game, take this game how you want. He said you guys can enjoy it the rest of the night. You can enjoy it for ten minutes. You can enjoy it tomorrow morning. However you want to handle it, handle it. I think that really helps our team. We did that same thing after the conference tournament, and it worked out perfect for us there. So I think everybody's over that fact now. We're ready to move on, ready for our game Sunday. We're going to go out here, have a good shootaround, get after each other a little bit and watch some film tonight and be ready to play tomorrow. MATT BOHANNON: Yeah, just echoing what Paul said. Just enjoy it, Coach said. These times don't come very often, and when you're in the NCAA Tournament, you maybe get lost up in the moment a little bit and start thinking ahead. But we're just trying to enjoy it for what it is and understand that we beat a really good basketball team last night and have a really good opportunity tomorrow. We're just going to keep staying confident, keep staying positive, and enjoy what happened last night, but understand we have another big test tomorrow. WES WASHPUN: Yeah, everybody celebrates a win differently. Everybody needs a different amount of time to enjoy it, and that's what Coach pretty much told us, just like these guys said. So just live in the moment while it lasts and be ready and prepared for the next opponent tomorrow. Q. Is there a pride of the Iowa teams or is there like a competition between the Iowa teams since you're all still in it? PAUL JESPERSON: When we're playing each other, obviously, we want our own teams to win. But outside of playing those guys, we're rooting for them just as I'm sure they're rooting for us. It looks great for the state when you have all three teams still playing. So we wish those other two teams the best of luck. Q. Can you just talk about their size? Especially when they bring in off the bench a 6'10" guy, and they could have Davis and Trocha in there at the same time, how you think you can handle that? WES WASHPUN: Yeah, it is just they're a little bit bigger than us, obviously. They have a little more size, but we just have to try to use that to our advantage with our smaller lineup. Try to stretch them out a little bit and use it to our advantage with Klint there at the five and try to make their big guys have to guard us as well. Q. Matt, you guys have been on such a run, the last four games tied in the final minute, couple buzzer beaters. How much confidence does it give you or do you also feel like you better take care of business earlier because you can't keep pushing good fortune? MATT BOHANNON: Yeah, it's funny because it's never how you think it's going to happen or how it's going to be drawn up, so you've just got to take it for what it is. It's pretty crazy we've had four games that have kind of ended the same way. You kind of start to build a little confidence and understand that through each of these experiences you kind of build a little bit more and build a little bit more and have a sense of a calm, cool, collected attitude. It's funny, now we're going over the timeouts where it's tied or up one, down one, and Coach is cracking jokes and whatnot, just trying to keep us loose. Just kind of see that and feel that in the huddle is something pretty special. We've been through a lot of situations throughout the last couple weeks for sure, and we'll just use that to our advantage and just excited for what's to come more than anything. THE MODERATOR: Coach Jacobson, an opening statement about last night and today. COACH JACOBSON: Yeah, boy, last night was one of those that obviously doesn't come around very often. But when you're in a situation where the basketball game is tied at that point, doesn't happen too many times where the ball goes in from that distance. So feel very fortunate to have had that happen. Really happy for our guys. I've talked about it a lot. We've got great seniors on this team, and they have -- we really struggled in mid-January, and they've been great the entire time. So happy to see that happen for Paul and for our seniors. Looking ahead to Texas A&M, boy, they've got a lot of everything, a lot to handle. Those guys up front are really good offensively, really good on the boards. House is a pro. He shoots it, scores it off the dribble, scores it at the basket. Yeah, I just think their lineup is terrific. Those guys coming off the bench are really skilled, guys that make threes, make good plays, so they've got some depth to go with that starting group. Yeah, lots for us to handle. Q. The guys said you kind of left it to them as far as how long they celebrated, whether it was last night or if they put it behind them this morning. What is it about them that you gave them that much freedom to determine how to celebrate on their own and why do you trust them so much? COACH JACOBSON: Yeah, that comes from our experience or my experience with our team in 2010. When the horn went off in 2010, I immediately went to the handshake line. We went to the locker room and I celebrated a little bit with the guys, but then immediately went to our next opponent. I told the guys two years ago that all of the time and effort put into this, as players and even for us as coaches, that we're going to find some time to enjoy it when we've earned that opportunity. So that's what it comes from. Like I said, I told the guys two years ago and since then they keep reminding me. I keep wanting to turn the page and get on to the next thing. But Jesperson keeps reminding me that I told them we're going to enjoy the stuff that's worth enjoying. At the Valley tournament two weeks ago and I told them after the Wichita game in the semifinals, I said, guys, you do it how you want. I said it last night, take as much time as you want. Because they've been great. When it's time to play, these guys have come to play. Q. There was a time, I guess about five years ago, where of all schools -- I guess you met with Texas A&M, at least that's what I've read. So if you could, take us through what that was like, if you met with them, how close you came, and how happy you are you stayed? COACH JACOBSON: Boy, with great respect for your question, that really is not part of the game tomorrow. I would tell you I'm really happy for Coach Kennedy and the way things have gone for him and their program. And obviously I'm going to tell you there is no way I could possibly be happier coaching anywhere than I am coaching at Northern Iowa. Q. You've been in a lot of NCAA Tournament situations now. In some ways do you have an advantage when you're playing a Power Five Conference school or a high seed? Do you find that the lower seeds play with more freedom when you're playing a school like Texas or Kansas, whoever it might be? And does that change any after the first round? COACH JACOBSON: Sure, yeah. In 2010, in the game against Kansas, I think it helped us because we had a really good team that year, and we had all of the parts that you needed to have success against anybody. At the same time, in that game, there was outside of our locker room a handful of our fans. Nobody thought we would win that game. Now, our guys did. So we were able to -- we were really loose. When we got out of the gate, I think we were up 10-2 and immediately sent a message that we're here and we're going to be here for the entire 40 minutes. I think part of that is because our guys were loose. In the game against Texas, I think this group has been loose because they had the experience last year. To your question, having been in the tournament a year ago, winning our first round game, having the experience against Louisville when we didn't play quite as good, and I think being in that game got to that group a little bit, knowing what was on the line. I think those experiences have really helped the team that we have now. This team has just found a way. We've been in a lot of situations with this team in the last six weeks and they've found a way to get out of them on the right side of the score. So I do think those experiences have helped us. Q. Your impressions of Tyler Davis and what makes them so good getting other big men in foul trouble? COACH JACOBSON: Yeah, his positioning early. He finds his spots before the ball is in position to find him and there just aren't many guys that do it. When you combine that with a big body, that kind of feel for positioning, he's got great hands, he's got great footwork, but he's got a big body and he's got instincts to get himself in the right spots and find his seal before the ball gets there. And I think that's a pretty unique quality. He's got enough strength. As a young guy, not all young guys have that kind of strength, and he does as a young guy. I just think you combine all those physical skills with the instincts that he has, and it makes him a really, really good player. He might be a great player right now. If some don't consider him great yet, he's going to be great really soon. I just think he's terrific. The second part? Q. About the fouls? COACH JACOBSON: I think that has to do with not only having the physical size, but, again, the instincts and the posting, because he gets himself into great position. Guys defending him are at a disadvantage before the ball gets there. They've got to try to find a way out of that before the ball gets to that spot. I think that's where he's able to pick up some of those fouls. Also, he's a good rebounder. He's going to go and get some offensive rebounds and work hard to get offensive rebounds. So he's in there in traffic and that forces other teams to bang around and battle him. I think some of those fouls get picked up there as well. Q. How do you put this team in its place maybe for what you've been through? Like you said, 2010 was probably more talented and probably last year was more talented. But here you are in the round of 32 with a team that was fourth in the Valley. How do you summarize what this team has accomplished this year? COACH JACOBSON: I've even told the guys, I've told this team, I said, guys, I'm not quite sure how this has all happened the last six weeks and particularly the last couple weeks. We're not as experienced as some of the teams we've had and we're not as deep as some of the teams we've had. So I've told them. They know. What we have gotten good at is understanding exactly who we are and understanding exactly what we have to do to be successful. We have to fight hard to rebound. We have to fight hard to defend the post, and then we just kind of figure it out on offense. We have good players, but we have to figure it out on offense. But there are some things defensively and in transition that we have to fight really hard to be able to keep ourselves in games or put ourselves in position to win games and the guys understand that. Q. Does the size of A&M's athleticism present a different challenge from what you saw last night from Texas? COACH JACOBSON: The biggest difference that I've seen to this point is their ability to score on the block is different. Lammert at 6'9" was a perimeter power forward. We didn't have to defend him on the block. Ibeh had a tremendous impact on the game defensively, but he doesn't touch it a lot offensively for Texas. Both guys in the starting lineup rally impact the game on the block offensively. So we're going to have to defend the low block much more than we did against Texas. And they've got a couple other guys that will play down there as well. So there is going to be more pressure on our defense on the block. That's going to be a big part of this game. The one guy I didn't mention early, this is off your question, I guess, but I think Caruso is, from what I've seen on film, is impactful in the entire game both ends as anybody I've seen or that our team has played against. I think Caruso's ability to impact the game defensively, the way he handles himself offensively, finding his teammates, he comes up with big plays, he scores when he has to. Man, I think Caruso is one of the best all-around, most impactful guys that we've played against. So when you add that to what I talked about with House and the guys were talking about inside, as I said, there is a lot there for us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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